Car-fender.



W. H. MARTIN.

GAR FENDER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.1B, 1910.

Patented Dec. 19,1911.

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W. H. MARTIN.

GAR FENDER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 18, 1910.

Patented Dec. 19, 1911.

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GAR FENDER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 18, 1010.

1,012,392. Patented Dec. 19, 1911.

0M 54410" N av UNITED srarns PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. MARTIN, OF GEYSERVILLE, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF TWO-FIFTHS TOA. H. BONNIEFIELD AND T. W. BONNIEFIELD, BOTH 0F GEYSERVILLE,CALIFORNIA.

CAR-FENDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 18, 1910.

Patented Dec. 19, 1911.

Serial No. 593,103.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WVILLIAM l-I. MARTIN, residing at Geyserville, inthe county of Sonoma and State of California, have invented a new andImproved Car-Fender, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention, which generally relates to street car fenders,more particularly has in view an improved type of fender in which thepick-up devices, normally held elevated, are caused to drop into anoperative position to take care of and protect the object struck by thecar and in such manner that danger of the object getting under the caror being bruised or mangled while being pushed forwardly is reduced tothe minimum.

My invention primarily has for its object to provide a car fenderconstruction of the general character stated and of a comparativelysimple compact and inexpensive nature, in which the several parts arecooperatively connected and so designed that they can be quickly set totheir normal or elevated position and positively and automaticallydropped to the pick up position the instant a body is struck.

lVith other objects in view that will hereinafter appear my presentinvention embodies an improved arrangement of a pickup canvas or apron,that drops in advance of the object struck, and an automaticallyadjustable means for unwinding the said canvas over the trackway inposition for receiving the body as it is being pushed forwardly, wherebyto form a drag for pulling the body smoothly along the roadway.

My invention in its more complete nature includes certain improved meansfor holding the main or apron holder and a supplemental canvas guardnormally elevated and moved to their lowered or operative position byspring power as soon as a body is struck by the car.

My invention consists in certain details of construction and novelarrangement of parts all of which will be hereinafter fully described,specifically pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1., is a perspective view of my im proved car fender attached tothe front of a car and shown at normal or elevated position. Fig. 2, isa front view thereof. Fig. 3, is a perspective view of the end of a carwith my improved fender, the same being in the lowered position. Fig. 4,is a top plan view of the fender devices arranged as in Fig. 3, part ofthe car platform being omitted to show the position of the supplementalwheel guard. Fig. 5, is a side elevation of the parts in the positionshown in Fig. 2. Fig. 6, is a side elevation, the parts being in theposition shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 7, is a detail enlarged perspective viewof the clamping device. Fig. 8, is a detail WICW showing the means ofattaching the canvas to the rope.

Fig. 9, is a detail section of the coil spring device.

Tn the practical application of my inveir tion. the operating parts arearranged and combined as is best shown in Figs. 1 and 3, in which 1designates a shaft that is rcckably mounted in brackets 20, secured onthe outside of the car dash 2. Shaft 1 is normally held under thetension of a pair of coiled springs 3 to rock forwardly and the saidsprings 3 are wound around and secured at one end to the shaft and heldwithin the housings 21, the other end of the springs being made fast tothe ear dash 2, as is clearly shown.

4 designates a pair of side arms fixedly secured to the opposite ends ofthe shaft 1 and 5 is a roller (see Figs. 2, 3 and 4) journaled in theouter ends of the said side arms 4 upon which is wound a canvas apron50, the free end of which carries a roller 51.

52 designates a ball shaped member that is pendently secured to theroller 51 on the end of the apron 50, and it forms a weight forassisting in unwinding the apron as the side arms 4 drop down to thehorizontal position,.it also acting as a detent for engaging a lockingdevice at the upper edge of the car dash which has for its purpose tohold the apron roller 51 in its elevated position (see Fig. 5). Thelocking device referred to, which is best shown in Fig. 7, consists oftwo pincer-like clamping members 60 that are pivotally mounted on abracket that projects outwardly from the upper edge of the car dash. Thefront or claw-like ends of the member 60 are normally closed againsteach other by a spring that is interposed between the long or rear endsof the said members, as is clearly shown in Fig. 7. The pincer-likeclamping jaws, through the means hereinafter explained, open to receivethe shank of the ball 52, when the arm 4, with the rollers 5, are swungup to the normal position, through the medium of the spring rock shaft 2and close over the said shank to hold it and the ball 52, after the saidshank passes therebetween, said clamping of the ball shank serving toassist in holding the roller 5 from being accidentally jolted forwardlyin ordinary use.

Upon each end of the roller 5 is mounted a pulley 7 of a larger diameterthan the diameter of the roller 5 when the canvas apron is woundthereon, and over the said pulleys 7 take endless cords or cables 8which also take over ground engaging pulleys 90 that are journaled onthe ends of side arms 9 that hang pendent from the shaft 53 of theroller 5 and just inside of the side arms or bars 4, such correlation ofthe several parts being provided that the pulleys 90 set in alinementwith the pulleys 7 for reasons presently explained.

10 designates a combined bumper and tripping frame of rectangular shapeand it consists of side and end gas pipe sections suitably joined attheends and a netting ll of yieldable material for receiving the body orobject that may be struck by the moving car. The frame 10 includes across bar 10 that is rockably secured to the car dash by means of theouter or free ends of bowed spring hangers 12, as is clearly shown inFigs. 1 and 2, by reference to which it is apparent that when the lowerpart of the frame '10 strikes an object the upper part of the said frameswings outwardly.

13 designates a weight slidably mounted on the front of the car dash,whose lower end norm-ally rests on the car platform and the said weighthas vertical rods lt fastened thereto that are guided on the brackets 15in the car dash and whose upper ends are extended a short distance abovethe top of the dash, as shown. Cords 15 are attached to the upper endsof the rods 1 and pass through guides 16 on the car dash and connectwith the spring clip members 60.

16 are cords or flexible members secured at one end to the weight 13 andpass over guide pulleys 17 on the car dash and have their other endssecured to the upper CIOSs rail of the frame 10.

The operation of the parts described and shown is best explained asfollows: When the said parts are adjusted as shown in -Figs. 1 and 2,should an object be struck the frame 10 is rocked so its upper endswings outwardly and in thus moving it pulls on the cords 16 and therebylifts the weight 13, which in rising lifts the rods 14: that pull onthecords 15*, which spread the spring closed members 60, and therebyreleases the side arms 4 and the said arms 4 and the arms 9 being thusreleased drop to the position shown in Fig. 2, the apron roller 5 beingnow free to unwind as it falls. The length of the side arms issufficient to permit the said apron roller 5 to fall over and in advanceof the object struck. hen the parts referred to drop to the positionstated, the pulleys 7 on the roller 5, and the pulleys 90 on the arms 9ride on the roadway and in so doing the canvas apron is unwound andsince the object struck drops onto the said apron the latter is drawntoward the car dash, such operation being also effected by reason of theroller 57 being joined with the endless cables 88 (see Fig. 8) it beingclear, by reference to the drawings, that when the roller 57 is pulledinwardly toward the car far enough to engage the ground pulleys 90,further rotation of the pulleys 7 and 90 is retarded and the catcherapron and the members that hold it are dragged along with the objectthereon.

25 designates a supplemental wheel fender that consists of thedownwardly and forwardly curved side arms 26 pendently hung from the carbody, and an apron 27 that eX- tends across and is secured to the saidside arms. A roller 28 mounted in the lower end of the said side armsthat forms the front edge of the end fender 25 and a bearing roller 29in the lower end of each of the side arms back of the roller 28, causethe said lower end of the fender 25 to travel freely over the trackwaywhen the fender is lowered, as is shown in Figs. 3 and 6.

29 designates rope hangers, the lower ends of which connect with thearms 26 and the upper ends of which wind on drums 35, on the springrocked shaft 1, the connection of the said ropes with the shaft 1 issuch that when the side arms 4 are swung up the hangers 25 wind upon thedrums 35 and thereby lift the front end of the fender 25 from theground, see Fig. 5.

Having thus described my invention. what I claim is: I

1. In a car fender of the character described, the combination'of apick-up carrier-apron, mounted on the car dash, automatic means forswinging it down over the trackway, a detent for holding it elevated, atripping means for engaging the object struck for releasing the detent,mechanism for positively drawing the carrier-apron out over the trackwayas it moves over the ground, said mechanism including endless cables andpulleys therefor and connections that join the carrier-apron with theendless cables, substantially as shown and for the purposes described.

2. In a car fender, a frame hinged to the dash-board to swing forwardlyand downwardly therefrom, when released, means for holding the saidframe in an upright position, a tripper frame on the dash-board adaptedto engage the object struck and to release the swinging frame, a rollertransversely journaled on the outer end of the swinging frame, an apronwound on the roller, and means carried by the swinging frame forunwinding the apron when the said swinging frame drops down, said meansincluding ground engaging pulleys and endless cables, the latter beinsecured to the free end of the apron.

3. In a car fender of the character de scribed, the combination with thecar dash of a rock shaft mounted thereon and held under spring tensionto rock outwardly, side arms fixedly mounted on the shaft, a carrierapron, a roller on which said apron winds journaled in the outer ends ofthe arms, a detent for holding the arms with the apron-holding roller inthe elevated position, a buffer frame hingedly mounted on the car dashconnections between the aforesaid detent and the buffer frame forreleasing the detent when the buffer frame is struck to permit the shaftto rock under its spring tension, automatically operative means forunwinding the apron from the roller when the said roller is on theground and a wheel guard that cooperates with the apron-carrying andadjusting means.

4. The combination with the car dash of a rock shaft journaled on thecar dash and spring rocked in one direction, side arms on the shaft, acarrier apron, a roller therefor mounted on the outer ends of the arms,other arms pendent from the shaft of the apron roller, pulleys on thependent ends of the arms and on the shaft of the aforesaid windingroller, endless cables that take over said pulleys, connections thatjoin the free ends of the apron with the said endless cables, a detentfor holding the apron roller in its elevated position, a buffer framehinged to the car dash and connections between the said buffer frame andthe detent for releasing the said detent when the buffer frame engagesan object.

5. In a car fender of the character described the combination with thecar dash of a spring turned rock shaft mounted on the front end thereof,a pair of side arms fixed to the shaft, a winding drum on each end ofthe shaft, a wheel fender hingedly supported from the car body, flexibleconnections that join with the free end of the wheel fender and with thewinding drums for lifting the front end of the wheel fender to clear theground when the shaft is rocked against the tension of the springsthereon, an apron roller mounted on the free ends of the side arms, aweighted catch on the free end of the apron, a detent for gripping thecatch to hold the arms to their elevated position, a butler frame,eonnections that cooperate therewith and the detent for tripping thedetent to release the apron holding frame when the buffer frame engagesan object, and means supported by the swinging carrier holding frame forunwinding the apron roller when it drops to the ground, said meansincluding pulleys for engaging and rolling over the track surface,endless cables that take over the pulleys and means for joining the freeend of said apron to the cables as set forth.

6. A car fender comprising in combination with the car dash; a rockshaft mounted thereon and held under spring tension, and a buffer framehingedly supported on the front dash to tilt in the vertical planethereof; of side arms on the shaft to rock therewith, an apron holdingroller mounted in the outer ends of the said side arms, a detent forholding the free end of the said roller and the side arms in theelevated position, a means on the dash actuated by the tilting of thebuffer frame when struck, for releasing the apron roller and the sidearms whereby to permit the spring rocked shaftto swing the arms and thesaid apron roller onto the car track in advance of the object struck, anautomatically operating means on the side arms that feeds the apron outfrom the roller when down on the trackway, said means including groundengaging pulleys and endless cables mounted thereon connected to theapron.

7. A car fender that includes a main frame swingably mounted on thefront of the car dash, a wheel fender pendently hung under the carplatform, a rock shaft on the car dash to which the swingable frame isconnected and which forms the fulcrum for the frame, winding drums onthe shaft, flexible hangers that support the front end of the wheelfender and windable on the drums when the swinging frame is raised, apick-up apron, and a winding roller therefor, the latter being journaledin the outer end of the swingable frame, means for holding the frame inits raised position, other means actuated by a body struck by the carfor releasing the said holding means and mechanism carried by the frameand connected to the free end of the apron and arranged for pulling onthe apron as the frame is moved over in engagement with the tracksurface.

8. A car fender that comprises a frame hinged to the car dash to swingoutwardly operable by contact with the ground as the and downwardlytherefrom, a pick up desame is moved forwardly thereon.

vice carried by the frame said device including an apron, a windingroller there- WVILLIAM MARTIN for, means for unwinding the apron fromlVitnesses:

the roller and pulling it under the object H. E. BLACK,

struck, said winding means being rendered E. S. WVIsoAInN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

